RE: AirTalk for Wednesday, 04/27/11

Topic: Boehner wants to cut oil subsidies: During an ABC News interview on Tuesday House of Representatives Speaker John Boenher said he would consider cutting multi-million dollar tax subsidies to oil companies, saying “it’s certainly something we should be looking at.” Traditionally, Republicans have been very supportive of oil subsidies claiming that removing them would increase the cost of petroleum based energy and make high gas prices go even higher. Although President Obama has supported the removal of oil subsidies during the last Congress, repealing the tax breaks now could translate into gasoline at $6 a gallon, a possible death knell for his presidential re-election. Removing the subsidies would provide about $4 billion of revenue yearly to the federal government which is an obvious boon to the cash strapped federal budget and would also counter Democratic criticism that Republicans unfairly protects the financial interests of the oil industry. Is Speaker Boehner serious about his intention to look at repealing the oil subsidies? Is he setting-up the president’s election defeat by favoring a measure that would raise gas prices or is his party feeling the heat from progressives who criticize Republicans for cutting social welfare without considering cuts to “corporate welfare?”

LA County Supervisors just passed a motion to develop new business and residential properties along the marina, but some local residents say the plans don’t fit the community, and would harm existing wetland and recreation areas.

Guest: David Barish, resident and representative of “We Are Marina Del Rey”

11:06 –11:30

Topic: Good night, and good luck, forever?

Five years ago Katie Couric made headlines as the first woman to anchor a network evening news broadcast. Her $15 million dollar salary – more than the combined budgets of NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered --has made news as well. Many feel her salary was unjustified since the CBS Evening News has remained in third place since before Couric took the chair in 2006. This week, it was announced that Couric is leaving the show at the end of May. The change underscores a general decline in evening “appointment” news viewing over the past decade. What’s luring viewers away from their nightly dose of news? With the advent of cable news, webcasts, text updates and the 24-hour news cycle, do people still turn to the networks for reliable coverage? Are the days of the trusted figure behind the desk gone forever?